Mizner Park in line for art

The Woman with a Parasol, a painting by French impressionist Claude Monet, could come to life in Mizner Park.

Boca Raton officials are negotiating with The Sculpture Foundation of California for a rendering of the young woman in Monet's 1875 work. There is no timeline for when On Poppied Hill, the sculpture by J. Seward Johnson, may appear amid the shops and restaurants at Mizner Park as officials work through a contract.

While the city does not have a public art program, it is attracting various artworks. The Boca Raton Museum of Art's school recently installed a 20-foot-high red sculpture by John Henry, who is internationally recognized for his large-scale steel sculptures.

Johnson, with sculptures in New York, Paris and Rome, likewise is known worldwide. Johnson is best known for his bronze sculptures of the common man but he also created a series inspired by the artwork of impressionist painters.

"Our main concern is that the artwork is highly visible, that it's appreciated and well cared for," said Paula Stoeke, executive director of The Sculpture Foundation, that owns Johnson's collection.

The Bay Branch Foundation of Boca Raton donated $250,000 to the city to bring Johnson's sculpture to Mizner Park. The foundation's grant is for the city to purchase the art. But in negotiating with The Sculpture Foundation, the question now is whether the city will buy the piece or The Sculpture Foundation will lend it.

City officials say the foundation wants to lend the artwork. Stoeke declined to discuss the agreement.

"If it's a loan then we'd have to regroup," said Deputy City Manager George Brown.

The City Council agreed to take the Bay Branch Foundation's grant in March. If the sculpture is on loan, Brown said in an e-mail, the Bay Branch Foundation should pay The Sculpture Foundation directly.